A crossover between BtVS and Sailor Moon (the anime). B/S-friendly, early season 7 w/no spoilers beyond Selfless). Usagi and Mamoru are sent off to Sunnydale to find "someone" who will help them, and to investigate the growing evil there.

AN: I'm starting this at an absurdly late hour, and god knows why. I'll probably not finish it. But I just got suddenly irritated that there were so few Buffy/SM crossovers out there, and none I'd found of a season later than 3. And I'm so SICK of all the B/A-friendly crossovers, swiftly smothering the rare B/S-friendly ones. It's like all the B/A shippers (and the B/X-ers) have given up on regular canon ficdom for Buffy and have decided instead to monpolize the AUs and the xovers. :sigh: Anyway, here's one that's not. This first chapter is focused on the Sailor Moon characters, Usagi and Mamoru (they'll get the English names later, when they meet others). Just so you don't get confused--"Usako" and "Mamo-chan" are pet names they use sometimes in private. The "-chan" suffix indicates personal closeness, like between best friends, relatives, or loved ones. And my knowledge of Japanese is limited to small words only--- hindered even more by the fact that I've been lax in reading my anime fanfic lately. What can I say? I'm all caught up in Spuffy-love.

Spoilers: BtVS--Selfless; SM--erm.... everything. This takes place early season 7 in Buffyverse, and a few years in the future for SM, assuming Season 5 didn't happen, and Usagi's now 19, and Mamoru's 22. (what can I say... I'm going with the original manga on their ages. So much less ooky that way)

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bThe Black Behind the Moon/b

by Rashaka____________

iChapter 1/i

Usagi's foot landed softly on the tarmac as she stepped from the taxi. She sucked in her breath as her eyes took in the sights-- so different it was here! Everything, from the sign on the cafe adjoing thier motel to the design of the tiny figure in the streetlight box flashing white for 'WALK'. Even if they were here on Sailor business, she couldn't help feeling the thrill in her heart at finally being aable to travel to a foreign country. It was too bad they'd not been able to linger in the enormous tourist city of L.A., but still---America, half a world away! USagi felt her insides flutter at the thought of it.

"i~~~As charming as this view of your backside is, are you going to stand in the door like that all day?~~~/i" she heard a voice ask from the back seat in muffled Japanese. Usagi yelped and jumped to the side, clutching her carry-on and blushing outrageously. Her boyfriend chuckled as drew himself out of the vehicle after her, his elegantly long legs and wirey figure finally able to strech out fully. When he straightened, the top of Usagi's cornsilk blond head came to his shoulder. And, she mentally pouted, that was with 2 inch-soled shoes.

"Mamo-chan, we try---ishould /itry to speak English," Usagi mumbled, her words carefully pronounced for correctness, but her accent heavy.

Her Mamoru grinned at her, and asked with the Americanized fluency borne of having studied abroad in the States before, "Would you like me to repeat it for the driver?"

Another blush raced over Usagi's face, and she swatted his arm playfully. "Iei. No."

"Come one then," he replied, pulling her by the hand around to the rear of the taxi, where the driver'd already begun removing their luggage. Usagi examined hers while her boyfriend-- the love of her life!-- fished some American bills from his pocket and tipped the man. It looked to have traveled undamaged, thankfully. No doubt what they'd smuggled between her layers of clothes was still intact, and usable. Usagi's eyes narrowed faintly at the thought. They'd need it if things got bad, and the other had to be called upon as a last resort, and desired to arrive without the collossol hassle that international airline customs had become. And that's without bringing up the time factor.

She was still crouched over the bag on the sidealk when Mamoru picked up his own suitcase and with a nudge to her side began making his way to the motel entrance. Usagi grinned and, gathering her bag and her carry-on, trudged after him.

It was nearing five after all, and they absolutely needed to be checked in before six. Luna and Setsuna had been absolutely unforgiving on that fact-- both had pounded into her endlessly how "visciously dangerous" this town was at night, especially for those unfamiliar with its "seething underground." The phrase made Usagi's cheek twitch. It may be that it was her job to fight to keep Earth free from the forces of evil, but that didn't mean she wanted to be near anything that "seethed." Especially not an entire town of "seething" things.

"Usako, did you know that this town has over thirty churches?" Mamoru, head tilted a bit as he glanced back at her, inky sable locks falling into cerulean eyes that some people would have murdered for.

Usagi pulled her mind from his intoxicating visuals and blinked. "Thirty?" she repeated, to make sure she'd caught the English right. She really must have misunder--

"Hai. Thirty. And nearly as many cemetaries." He pointed to a local newspaper tucked under his arm as he tossed her the keys to the room.

"That's... strange." Usagi mumbled as she turned the key, her eyes wandering up to notice the prominent wood cross nailed above their door frame. She glanced around and---yep. Every room, all the way down the hall. A strange town it certainly was.

Oh well, her main muttered as she bounced into the room. They could do nothing tonight except catch up on sleep. Tomorrow, they'd begin their search for the girl, and the investigation into what the hell was going on in this part of the world that had got her advisor, Luna, so high-strung, and Setsuna, the Guardian of Time, as close to nervous as Usagi had ever seen her. Something that could poke at that woman's cool, calm, I-Know-More-Than-You-Ever-Will-And-Nothing-You-Could-Possibly-Come-Up-With-Phases-Me demeanor was fairly intimidating to even think about.

But not tonight. Nope, tonight it was delivery Chinese food, hours of foreign television, and serious Mamo-chan snuggling. Tomorrow she could save the world.

----------Please .R.&.R.

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